MTN, govt discuss 5G rollout — Group CEO
The MTN Group has held discussions with the government and regulators, setting the stage for a rollout of the fifth-generation (5G) mobile technology, the Group Chief Executive Officer of MTN, Ralph Mupita, has disclosed.
Speaking at the Bright Conversations Series at the MTN House in Accra last Thursday, Mr Mupita described 5G as a transformative technology with the potential to accelerate the country’s digital and economic growth.
He said the technology would redefine connectivity for individuals, businesses and communities, while enabling new opportunities in education, health, agriculture and financial services.
The MTN Group CEO, however, admitted that the journey towards 5G in Ghana had not been without challenges, given the debates surrounding how spectrum licences should be allocated and whether the approach would guarantee both affordability and innovation.
Promise of 5G
Explaining the opportunities that 5G offered, Mr Mupita said the technology would deliver faster internet speed, ultra-low latency, and the capacity to connect millions of devices simultaneously.
Those capabilities, he added, would lay the groundwork for more innovations in artificial intelligence (AI), smart cities, digital banking and e-commerce.
“With 5G, the potential for innovation is limitless. It will not just transform how people connect, but also how industries operate and how economies grow,” he said.
He stated that 5G was particularly important for the country because of the large youth population, which was increasingly reliant on digital platforms for learning, entrepreneurship and entertainment.
Mr Mupita said investing in digital skills alongside 5G deployment would help young people to create opportunities for themselves and participate meaningfully in the digital economy.
MTN’s Preparedness
For MTN, which operates in 16 markets across Africa, readiness is not the issue.
Mr Mupita explained that the company had already made significant investments to prepare for 5G, including upgrading network infrastructure, modernising towers and building partnerships for future services.
He also stressed that MTN’s focus was not only on deploying new technology but also on ensuring that the everyday Ghanaian benefitted from it.
That, he said, required investments in digital literacy, coding and AI training to enable young people to leverage the new possibilities that 5G would create.
“We believe that with the right policies and partnerships, 5G will open up enormous opportunities in education, health care, agriculture and commerce,” Mr Mupita said.
Way forward
The MTN Group CEO stressed the need for the government to work together with the private sector to create a regulatory environment that encouraged innovation, while protecting consumer interests.
He emphasised that consistent and transparent policies were essential to attract global capital for the massive investments required in digital infrastructure.
“There is an abundance of capital globally. Money will flow to environments where the regulatory framework is clear, consistent and enables innovation,” he said.
Mr Mupita further stated that the introduction of 5G in Ghana must not be viewed as an isolated event but as part of a broader strategy to build a sustainable digital economy.
That, he said, required strong partnerships between regulators, operators and communities.
